Saturday, January 16, 2016

This study was started 11/23/2014 (https://www.facebook.com/giscardnazon/posts/10152932988867526). With this edit today 10/01//2015, the entire text has been subject to revision. And though started first, this is the third of a series of studies I have made on the topic of marriage (and its complications). It was not devised to become a "pdf" or authoritative study on the topics in it. It is firstly a personal study and is not published to be taken as a basis for marital counseling in any situation without counseling from Yahweh. The KJV translation of the bible was used as the basis for this study when it was started. As of today, I have been exposed to other translations like the ISR98 which I have referenced. I have also replaced "the LORD" in the KJV text with Yahweh to reflect the current state of the renewing of my mind.

Jesus was not correcting Moses.
He was correcting the Pharisees' interpretation and application of the instructions given by Moses.

Matthew: 19:3-12
3. The Pharisees also came unto him, (( tempting him )), and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife (( for every cause? ))

//That is nowhere to be found in God's law.
//Jesus retorts, "Have you not read?" assuming they could and should have read and understood what was written (and we should, too):

4. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

7. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

//It was an allowance, not a commandment. And it was because of the hardness of their hearts:

8. He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts (( suffered you to put away your wives )): but from the beginning it was not so.

//Jesus gives the precision on when the putting away was permitted. And it would not have taken place without a a writing of divorcement being given to the wife being put away.

9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication (whoring), and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

//The "wife" in verses 8 must be considered from the bethrotal period and onward. I only found Deuteronomy 24:1-4 to address this matter of bill of divorcement given by a man to his wife. If that is the passage Jesus is expounding on before the Pharisees and his disciples when He gives the precept in Matthew 19:9, they are either both in full agreement, against the Pharisees perverted teaching OR we are not understanding correctly what Jesus is saying if we hold his teaching as being contrary to what is written in the law. We cannot hold to that view unless we have a perverted view of the law of God to being with, being biased against it. Jesus was not against Moses' teaching or against the people hearing the law of Moses and the Prophets - who by the way understood it (Luke 16:31; Matthew 5:17-19), but He warned against the scribes and Pharisees who were poor examples with respect to practicing what they preached (Matthew 23:1-3). Moses was not in error to teach what he taught. He did not give the law. It is the law of God given by his servant Moses (Nehemiah 9:14; 10:29), hence the name. I believe Moses did not teach his own thoughts.

//Moses did not give a commandment to put away one's wife, but an allowance. The reason was because of the hardness of hearts. That should not be the heart condition of a born again Christian/believer in the Messiah, one who obeys the law of God (Romans 7:1-3; Romans 8:3-4), even having it written on his/her heart by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3); so the fornication (whoring) of a wife, though a permitted cause to put her away and divorce her, is not unforgivable. Jesus is for forgiveness and reconciliation. And refusing to forgive is in fact an unforgivable sin (Matthew 6:12, 14-15; Matthew 18:21-35).

It is important as we apply scriptures to validate that we speak of two married people who had been redeemed of their sins so to live as God's people, keeping his commandments, and loving his law like David (Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:77) and Paul (Romans 7:22).

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There is a reason why I had to study this matter again.

Hebrews: 13. 4.
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

That does not place us in a pre-marital (bethrotal) period necessarily. Whoremonger and whores commit the act of whoredom / fornication.

God will judge marital unfaithfulness to the fullest extent. Trangressors must repent. God will have mercy on those who understand they have offended Him first of all by breaking his law/sinning (1 John 3:4), and who regret their sins, confess and forsake them (Proverbs 28:13).

Matthew 19:9-12
9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 10. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 11. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 12. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

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The Law:

Deuteronomy: 24:1-4
1. When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some *uncleanness* (‛ervâh) H6172 in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. 3. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4. Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Yahweh: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which Yahweh thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

How does a man "find some uncleanness" (‛ervâh) H6172 in his wife? The same word in Leviticus 18 is translated 'nakedness' instead and referenced in many prohibitions against incestuous relationships (Leviticus 18:6-16). (Note: As of this edit today 10/01//2015, I am using the ISR98 translation that reads "uncoveredness" in Deuteronomy 24:1.) And in Leviticus 18:19 for instance it is another word (ṭûm'âh) that is translated "uncleanness".

Leviticus 18:19
19 Also thou shalt not approach H7126 unto a woman H802 to uncover H1540 her nakedness (‛ervâh) H6172, as long as she is put apart H5079 for her uncleanness (ṭûm'âh) H2932.

Uncleanness in English is filthiness, the quality of what has been defiled. I gather from other translations that Leviticus 18:19 is referring to a woman possibly during her period.

One's nakedness is what should not be shown/exposed in a particular context or under certain circumstances. This comment is for the verse above. I see the same for the verse below, as the nakedness is applied to Jerusalem. There is "entering into her sanctuary" involved/implied here along with the fact that her nakedness was seen. This is another passage that uses both nakedness and filthiness (uncleanness)

Lamentations 1:8-10
8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness (H6172: ‛ervâh): yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. 9 Her filthiness (H2932: ṭûm'âh) is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O Yahweh, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. 10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

(Note: As of this edit today 10/01/2015, reading "Her filthiness (H2932: ṭûm'âh) is in her skirts", that is, "Her uncleanness is in her skirts", the idea of a defilement having taken place, and of an act of indecency, or the working of that which is “unseemly” is clear to me.

[And to clarify uncleanness (H2932) and being defiled (H2930) further, I have also stumbled upon this passage which for me (maybe not for you) puts the nail to the coffin:
Numbers: 5. 19. And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse: 20. But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband]

Deuteronomy 24 speaks of a wife living in her husband's house being put out of her husband's house. I believe betrothed women did not live together with their betrothed husbands.

So if Jesus is discussing that passage with the Pharisees and his disciples, and they agree, they also must apply to the same context and Deuteronomy 24:1 lines up with Matthew 19:9. Is there somewhere else Moses allowed husbands to give a bill of divorcement to their wives, because of uncleanness (uncovered nakedness)?

It's my understanding then that the uncleanness (uncovering of nakedness) in Deuteronomy 24 is not referring to a matter of incest being committed or at risk of being committed nor can it be solely applicable to the fornication (whoredom) that could occur during the betrothal period. And that's it for the exception clause (Matthew 19:9; Matthew 5:32).

This is the Lord's commandment to the married (Paul is writing to believers who will abide in God's word and uphold his Torah (Romans 3:31) which is not made void through faith, at least when they do get over their flesh (Romans 8:5-8):

1 Corinthians: 7:10-11, 39
10. And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11. But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

Other scriptures concerning the married:

Mark: 10:11-12
11. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Luke: 16. 18.
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Why no exception clause is mentioned for the non-Jews, in Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18 as is argued by many? Or why did the exception clause in Matthew 5:32 or 19:9 only apply to the Jews and not to the Gentiles? If the Jews had a bethrotal period to consider, that does not make whoredom (fornication) a matter that can only occur during the time a man is betrothed to his wife. The New Testament use of fornication throughout would argue against the understanding of fornication as a bethrotal period exclusive matter, and also would go against the part of the law that is being evoked (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

And is not this the rule we live by today?
☞ "There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

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Difference between Jews and Gentiles?
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Romans 2:17-29
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent , being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal , dost thou steal ? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery , dost thou commit adultery ? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege ? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For (( the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. )) 25 For circumcision verily profiteth , if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Romans 3:19-26
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith , it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped , and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested , being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe : for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past , through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

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This is what Jesus' disciples said, after He gave them his word on divorce and remarriage consisting in adultery, exception clause included (these men were Jews):

Matthew: 19. 10.
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

11. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

Who are they to whom this saying is given? Who are they who cannot receive it? I do not see that his disciples necessarily received it, as they were in shock. And these men were Jews.

Jesus said to them:
... "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

Matthew: 19. 12.
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.

I believe that to his disciples, it was a hard saying, but why?

Reminds me of this...

John 6:56, 60-61
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (...) 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said , This is an (( hard saying )); who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

Were these Jews so accustomed to the idea that they could put away their wives for any reason (Matthew 19:3), that establishing then that whoredom was the only valid reason for divorce made it seem to them that it was better (( for a man )) not to marry at all? Were they regenerated men yet?

I believe Paul had the same understanding of what Jesus taught when He wrote:

1 Corinthians 7:27
Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

And also:

1 Corinthians: 7. 1.
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2. Nevertheless, (( to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. ))

How do you call cheating on your husband/wife while not putting him/her away, and not marrying another man/woman? Is it not playing the harlot/the whoremonger also (i.e. committing fornication)? By Jesus' definition, it is adultery if a man has not put away his wife for the only cause of fornication, nor given her a writing of divorcement (allowable only in the case of fornication), and had "married another".

What then? The transgression of the betrothed wife committing fornication (whoredom) can have consequences but not the transgression of the married woman? What's the difference? Why not the same standard of mercy required of the betrothed husband towards his betrothed wife who commits fornication (whoredom) as in the case of his marriage covenant wife? Is the heart always harder before marriage (during the betrothal) than after? I think not. I believe it would be harder for a blood-bought servant of the Most High to quickly dismiss a whoring wife, let's say a "sister" even who has lost her ways, than a woman, a "sister" still, that he is committed to be married with (as in being betrothed). In either of these situations is the place of forgiveness taken away (note the precise persons here involved).

What of all the men who were allowed to put away their wives (not betrothed wives) out of their houses under Moses? Did Moses allow them to disobey God, so to commit sin in doing so? Was that the "allowance", with him saying: "Because of the hardness of your hearts, you may commit sin."? Was Moses therefore a minister of sin, like some make Jesus a minister of sin (Galatians 2:17), being found sinners when they should be walking in holiness and righteousness (Luke 1:75; Romans 6:16-19)?

Hebrews: 13. 4.
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

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Metanoia, the Greek word for repentance would probably have killed me if the Holy Spirit did not convict me and led me to act upon a full understanding of the Hebrew meaning of the word for repentance even before I could put it in words.

I believe we may have fallen in the same Greek trap in our translation and definition of porneia, the Greek word for fornication, by confining it to a time period (sex before marriage/during betrothal) regardless of context. I submit this to your own consideration, if you are reading. It is clear that the supposed fornication of Mary was during the betrothal period, and Joseph would have been in his right to put her away. That is clear enough.

Questions:
-How Moses' actual teaching can differ from Christ's on the permission to put away one's wife?
-Why seemingly two standards of mercy, for the Jew during betrothal and the Jew during marriage, and for the Jew on one hand and the Gentile on the other hand?

Galatians 3:27-29
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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"Till death do us apart"

Romans: 7:1-3, 4-6
1. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law, (what law?)) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2. For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

I add the rest because it's a comparison:
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law (what law? how?), by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held ; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

H2181
Original: זנה
Transliteration: zânâh
Phonetic: zaw-naw'
BDB Definition:
to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot
(Qal)
to be a harlot, act as a harlot, commit fornication
to commit adultery
to be a cult prostitute
to be unfaithful (to God) (figuratively)
(Pual) to play the harlot
(Hiphil)
to cause to commit adultery
to force into prostitution
to commit fornication

H2930
Original: טמא
Transliteration: ṭâmê'
Phonetic: taw-may'
BDB Definition:
to be unclean, become unclean, become impure
(Qal) to be or become unclean
sexually
religiously
ceremonially
(Niphal)
to defile oneself, be defiled
sexually
by idolatry
ceremonially
to be regarded as unclean
(Piel)
to defile
sexually
religiously
ceremonially
to pronounce unclean, declare unclean (ceremonially)
to profane (God's name)
(Pual) to be defiled
(Hithpael) to be unclean
(Hothpael) to be defiled

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12/22/2014, 10/01/2015
Marriage divorce adultery

A divorced woman is one who was put away for fornication (whoredom) and given a bill of divorcement. There is no other reason or manner allowed for divorce. If another man marries a woman who was put away yet not divorced, he commits adultery together with the woman - that is his neighbor's wife. The husband is allowed to put away the woman for the cause of fornication (whoredom), but can also forgive her. If a woman puts away her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

Audience for sharing: them who know the law, who can "hear it", who do not turn their ears from hearing it (Proverbs 28:9).

Further renewing of my mind should solidify and/or correct the understanding here expressed.

Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Suicide can never pass as martydom for Christ's name's sake, due to erroneous discernment. "Suicide by cop" remains a suicide, which is murder of self, in addition to a homicide possibly being committed, which is also murder. "Suicide by spouse" also shall be called suicide in applicable cases. And murder of self shall not be called self-denial nor martyrdom for the cross' sake, even as an additional homicide is also committed against a married follower of Christ.

In marriage between a follower of Messiah and an unbeliever, if the unbeliever is happy to stay with the brother or sister who believes, let he/she not put the unbelieving spouse away. "For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?" (1 Corinthians: 7. 16) If a believing husband or wife is so given such a ministry (being found by the Lord when already married), and just does not care to save a soul he or she may be closest to, let the Word of God who searches the hearts and reins judge this matter in righteousness.

But if the unbeliver (man or woman) is Pharaoh (stress: IS PHARAOH), and is only happy to "keep" the believing spouse, how then is not God's servant under bondage to wickedness, darkness, the lust of the flesh and of the world, and all unrighteousness? Is the brother or sister called to be in bondage to anyone but Christ? How is this all understood with respect to "Let my people go that they may serve me?" (Ex: Exodus 8:1) I remark that there is a lot of "doing" in serving God. It is not merely a state of mind where you know who you "really" belong to. I further remark that what hinders that "doing" constitutes then bondage. If for instance you regard a day above others and call it your Sabbath day and must (or are willing to) break that Sabbath for anyone's sake, being led to do your own things or someone else's own things on the Sabbath, then who is your master?

I find Paul appealing to each one's conscience and judgement as led by the Holy Spirit concerning some of these marriage matters involving a believer and an unbeliever.

He issues a "command" from the Lord to them who are married in the Lord (both the man and the woman, referred to as 'brother' and 'sister'):

1 Corinthians 7:10-11
10 And unto the married I **command,** yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

And to the rest (different situations) he "speaks" his own judgement as a man, who has the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 7:40).

1 Corinthians 7:12-15
But to the rest I **speak,** not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13. The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15. Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

In all your hearing, make sure you hear God and not man.

Proverbs: 4:5-7
5. Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don't forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth. 6. Don't forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you. 7. Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

Is it God's will that marriage be bondage in some cases? Is marriage greater than God so that it can negate or handicap one's freedom to serve Him?

These cases exist and the will of God is not unknowable to those who seek Him. I see no exception for marriage in the things that one may have to separate from (forsake) for the sake of serving Christ.

What is "wife" doing in that list?

Matthew: 19. 29.
And every one that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Ask yourself honestly. Seek understanding to honor God's will rather than to put your name on a doctrine once you're comfortable that you fit nicely in it.

Is Jesus saying divorce your wives so you can inherit eternal life? Is he condoning divorce? No, He is not. He hates divorce and the violence of it (Malachi 2:16). He says who finds a wife finds a good thing (Proverbs 18:22)...

There is a calling each one is to answer and an election to be made sure of, that should be the top priority of every soul in this life:

Luke: 9:61-62
61. Another also said, "I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house." 62. But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God."

Did that man have a wife that loved him at his house possibly? And if he did forego of going back to his house, what would he then have come to understand?

Matthew: 22. 14.
For many are called, but few are chosen.

2 Peter: 1. 10.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Matthew: 13. 44.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

Back to the marriage. As in every situation, whosoever puts a stumbling block before the children of God, it would be better for him/her that a millstone be hanged to his/her neck and that he/she be thrown into the sea... (Matthew 18:6) Knowing that "everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin" (John 8:34), does that say something about God's heart concerning the influence they may have and use to bring and keep into bondage his servants He had set free to serve Him?

How does all this apply to marriage when we remove the blinders?

A marriage cannot constitute a bondage necessitating ***redemption*** and be God's will at the same time.

Those who will abuse their situation and the scriptures they unrighteously hold to be applicable to their situation and decide to do their own thing will always abound, but no one should use the word of God deceitfully to serve their own lusts, even to preserve their pride in their own understanding.

"whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:3)

"Therefore do not be unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:17)

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1 Corinthians: 7:20-23
20. Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called. 21. Were you called being a bondservant? Don't let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it. 22. For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord's free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's bondservant. 23. You were bought with a price. Don't become bondservants of men.

Matthew: 19:9-11
9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 10. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 11. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

Both true believers and those that are not Christ's (Romans 8:9) will use this scripture in their preferred flavor to break or to attempt to preserve a marriage. Those who have the commandment should guard it (keep it) and act accordingly. That is the love of God.

But this matter of the brother or sister not being under bondage as the unbelieving spouse departs (chooses to separate) begs its own questions and answers. Ask, seek and knock.

2 Timothy: 2. 15.
Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.

1 Corinthians 7:21-23 21 Are you called being a servant (G1401)? care not for it: but if you may be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant (G1401), is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant (G1401). 23 You are bought with a price; be not you the servants (G1401) of men.

John 8:34-36 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant (G1401) of sin. 35 And the servant (G1401) abides not in the house for ever: but the Son abides ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free (G1659), you shall be free indeed.

"A “doulos” is a bondservant or slave. It means one who has given himself up to another’s will, disregarding his own interests and desires." - KHRM

Being under bondage is contrasted with being set free. So it would follow that being not under bondage would be likened to the same, that is, being set free.

Romans 6:18 Being then made free (G1659) from sin, you became the servants* (G1402) of righteousness.

*you were brought under bondage/to servitude to righteousness

Romans 6:22 But now being made free (G1659) from sin, and become servants* (G1402) to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

*and brought under bondage/to servitude to God

1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage (G1402) in such cases: but God has called us to peace.

not under bondage = not in servitude = not subjected/submitted to = not a servant of

Regardless of cultural/historical or modern connotations, bondage implies subjection to an domineering authority, either by coercion or willingly (e.g. taking upon oneself the yoke that is easy and the burden that is light - Matthew 11:29-30). It follows that being not under bondage implies the breaking of an existing yoke, as applicable.

It is easy for believers to see an application to marriage in being equally or unequally yoked, but not when said yoke is said to be broken by the unbeliever.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they two shall be one flesh: so then they are no more two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder (G5563).

It does not mean separation cannot occur. But God commands that no separation be made to occur between two that He has joined together. It may be the case that an unbelieving spouse who is not subject to the law of God (Romans 8:7) separates (G5563) from the believing spouse (1 Corinthians 7:15).

1 Corinthians 7:10-11

10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart=separate (G5563) from her husband: 11 But and if she depart=separate (G5563), let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

Here again, there is not an indication that separation cannot occur. But God commands here that no separation be made to occur between a husband and his wife.

The departure/separation/putting asunder (G5563) by the believing wife does not cause her to cease to be her husband's wife. Indeed she is as long as he lives. She is called to be reconciled to the man who is called her husband still according to God’s law (1 Corinthians 7:39; Romans 7:1-4).

1 Corinthians 7:15

But if the unbelieving depart (G5563), let him depart (G5563). A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God has called us to peace.

What is commanded for the believing wife departing/separating (to remain unmarried (not remarry), for she indeed is married to a man, and to be reconciled to her husband) cannot be applied to the unbelieving wife departing for instance.

In fact, the unbelieving person cannot "hear" the law by his/her very nature. Hence here are two different situations calling for two different handlings of the word of truth.

If the unbelieving departs/separates (G5563), there is no "word" for that person (1 Corinthians 5:12-13 applies?). The word is for the brother or sister. And the unbeliever has broken the yoke that joined the two.

Now bigger questions: Did, does or would God join two so that the result is an unequal yoke to begin with? What does "What therefore God has joined together" (Mark 10:9) imply that He joined together? Does God take pleasure in the making of ungodly soul ties? What the church has to deal with is equal yokes in ungodliness becoming unequal yokes with respect to godliness when one of two married persons comes to the faith in Messiah and so switches masters – I speak of blood-bought souls added to the church, not the professing Christian mess. I believe that is the exclusive situation that 1 Corinthians 7:15 is addressing.

"According to Vine's Bible Dictionary, the term yoke means "serving to couple two things together". In another Bible dictionary, it is defined as a coupling instrument that symbolizes forced labor, submission, and oppression driven by a higher power in authority. This definition is illustrated in the image below with two oxen that have been coupled together and are used for labor. If you take a closer look at the image you can see that the yoke is around the necks of the oxen. They are not joined by their tails, midsection, nor any other part of their anatomy. The weight of the yoke that surrounds their neck is supported by their shoulders."

"A yoke placed by the enemy is designed to destroy your life. That's why Jesus said that He came that we might have life and to have life more abundantly. The enemy's yoke will have you depressed, worried, stressed, confused, bitter, lying, stealing, fornicating, thinking suicidal thoughts, and a whole list of other things to keep you yoked to him. If you had all of this on your shoulders, you wouldn't be able to walk upright spiritually. To be coupled with the enemy is to share in his pleasures and his pleasure is to ultimately have you destroyed. He doesn't just want your life to end here on earth; he wants your life, meaning your soul, to be in eternal damnation with him."

What Does It Mean to Be Equally Yoked? http://kiaspeaksalso.com/2012/03/12/what-does-it-mean-to-be-equally-yoked The term “equally yoked” is one of those church phrases that gets thrown around a lot, but do you really know what it means?

Top 10 Strongest Animals on Land http://www.listland.com/top-10-strongest-animals-on-land/ When two oxen of similar size and speed are yoked together, their strength is increased significantly. They can pull extremely heavy loads in a slow and steady manner.